Palak Paneer Zombie Intestine

This is a spooky appetizer perfect for Halloween parties made with puff pastry stuffed with palak(spinach), paneer, and mozzarella cheese. The oeey-gooey melting cheese and the green spinach creates a perfect slimy zombie intestine appetizer. 

Before I go to the recipe, let me tell you about this Anolon baking sheet. This is an amazing baking sheet that transfers heat evenly producing a great bake. The handles make it easy to transfer the sheet in and out of the oven without any burns. I highly recommend this if you love baking.

Halloween is around the corner and if you are looking for spooky or scary or gross foods that you want to set at the table, well, this is the perfect appetizer. Your guests can chop the intestine and serve themselves giving them more Halloween fun. This may look like an intestine or a snake, but it is definitely worth it to set it at the Halloween party table.

The recipe is very simple and it is a breeze to make with the store-bought frozen puff pastry sheet. Entertaining needs to be fun and easy, right? Be sure to check this Puff Pastry Samosa Pinwheels and Onion Puffs, which are amazing and crowd pleasing appetizers as well as filling snacks. Puff Pastry sheets can also be used make simple, addictive, and tasty desserts like these Very Berry Turnovers.  

In simple words, this is palak paneer puff shaped in a different form that is perfect for Halloween. All you need is one puff pastry sheet (the package comes with two), spinach, onion, paneer, and some pantry essential spice powders. I recommend brushing with aquafaba to give the golden color in the baked goods.

The idea is to make a tube with the filling and the puff pastry is the casing. Join the tubes and shape the entire length of tubes in the form of intestine and bake.  Paneer is a semi-soft non-melting cheese. The mozzarella cheese gives the ooey-gooey effect. I recommend slicing the cheese sticks and using them rather than whole sticks. In this way, shaping them into a snake-like intestine is easier. The spinach and cheese oozing out after baking gives a creepy effect of the greenish juice flowing out. The stringy mozzarella adds to the effect making it a perfect Halloween appetizer. If you are looking for fun and tasty Halloween food, try these Kid Friendly Deathly Dracula Drink, Mummy Jalapeno Poppers, Mini Jack-o-Lantern Pumpkin Naans, and Halloween  Cupcakes.

This is my first recipe this week for Blogging Marathon, we blog for three consecutive days a week for four weeks on a chosen theme. I have chosen to share recipes that are "Stuffed". I am also adding Halloween to the "Stuffed" theme, and sharing stuffed Halloween recipes that are perfect for every Halloween party! Stay tuned for two more fun stuffed Halloween recipes that are stuffed. Add them to your Halloween menu and no one will be disappointed. 

Spinach is a nutrient rich leafy veggie and this is the season for the best spinach. Fall and spring are great seasons, but the days get a little longer in spring. This makes fall the ideal season for the best leafy greens. Spinach aka palak, one of the best fall produce, is one of our favorite veggies. There are other Indian varieties of greens that grow in summer. It is also easier and quicker to cook spinach. Palak paneer is one of the house favorites here and making a puff with it is a super-hit option. The flaky pastry with paneer, spinach, and ooey-gooey cheese, all balanced in flavor with salt and spices, this appetizer will be a hit among all ages. We are sharing favorite and delicious recipes with seasonal produce in our Foodie Monday Blog Hop. Check here if you'd like to participate.

I am also linking this to Sundays on Silverado, What's For Dinner, Happiness is Homemade.

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 8

Puff Pastry sheet - 1

Spinach - 4 cups, chopped

Paneer - 1.5 cups, grated

Salt - 2/3 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/8 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Chili flakes - 1 tsp

Ginger - 1 tsp

Garlic - 1 tsp

Mozzarella stick - 3 to 4, 1/2 -in. slices

Aquafaba - 2 tbsp

Method

Thaw the puff pastry sheet for about 40 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan, and add the cumin seeds and let it bloom for 30 seconds. Add the ginger, garlic, and onions, and sauté for 4-5 minutes.

Add the spinach and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. The spinach will reduce in volume.

Add the grated paneer, chili flakes, salt, garam masala, and turmeric. Mix thoroughly and cook for 3-4 minutes until all the liquid that oozed out is evaporated. Taste and adjust the salt as per preference.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Unfold the puff pastry sheet onto a flour dusted surface. Gently roll a little so that the dimension of the puff pastry becomes 11X14. Divide into three section in the longest side.

Divide the filling equally and spread in the middle the three strips, leaving half an inch at the shorter side. Add the sliced mozzarella sticks on top of the spinach paneer filling.  To begin the colied intestine, spread water onto one of the shorter edge and seal it. Then,  spread the water all along one of the longer side of the strip and fold the other side sealing and making it look like a tube, leaving one or two inches open at the end. Repeat with the other two strips.

 Place one of the folded tubes on a parchment lined baking sheet and try to make coiled shape resembling intestine. When you reach the other end, spread water again, and join with the next folded tip, using water to seal the edges. Leave a slight gap in between the coils as puff pastry will puff up while baking. Finish with the other tube, coiling it all along and fusing the final edge with water.

Brush with aquafaba.

Bake for 17 minutes at 450 degrees F.

Cool for a couple of minutes and serve warm.